Improvement in bee-hives



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS DEW'EESE, OF OAK MILLS, KANSAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,348, dated April 1, 1873; application filed November 25, 1872. i

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, AMos DEwEEsE, of Oak Mills, in the county of Atchison and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved BeeHive Protector, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved bee-protector, showing it applied to a series of hives. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, of the same, showing it on a hive. Fig. 3 is a detail inner face view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention is an improvement in the class of devices or apparatus for closing the entrances of a series of hives simultaneously. The improvement consists, first, in arranging the sliding bar, which connects the entrance gates of the several hives, so as to stand in the place of the usual alighting-board; and, second, in a peculiar manner of providing the gates with wire-gauze ventilators, whereby, when the beeentrances are closed, air may be admitted.

In the drawing, the letters A A represent a series of bee-hives, placed in one, two, or more rows upon suitable supports. a a are the gates by which their respective bee-entrances are closed or opened. These gates, as far as they pertain to a row of hives, are affixed to a slide or bar, B, and the several bars or slides B are connected with the cranks of a rockshaft, 0, which hangs in a stationary frame, D. When the rock-shaft is swung away from the hives all the bars will be drawn so as to carry the gates in front of the bee-entrances. When the rock-shaft is swung in the opposite direction all the gates will be opened. A

weighted arm, 12, is applied to the rock-shaft ing-board when the bee-entrances are not closed. Each gate a is recessed from the lower edge upward, the recess being covered by wiregauze, as at g in Figs. 2 and 3. When the gate is closed this recess will admit air to the hive for ventilating purposes, while the wire-gauze will exclude moths and other insects, &c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The wiregauze plates 9, arranged in a cavity on the inner side of the gates at so as to leave a space between them for admission of air, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The bar B, arranged, in connection with the hives A, so as to serve in place of the usual alighting-board, as specified.

AMOS DE \VEESE.

Witnesses:

MATHIS FLOERSOH, WM. E. SMITH. 

